1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved drag mechanism for controlling the frictional resistance of a spinning reel. More particularly, the present invention relates to an improvement to a drag mechanism for a spinning reel of the type that utilizes a plurality of drag members to provide a braking force to the reel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A spinning reel which is used for fishing commonly has a rotatable spool on which fishing line may be wound provided on a shaft that is secured to the body of the fishing reel. In order to facilitate smoother rotation of the spool during winding of the reel, it is known to provide a drag mechanism for frictionally engaging the spool so that line will play out when a fish runs.
In prior art devices of this type, a spool shaft attached to the spinning reel body was commonly journaled within a central bore of the fishline winding spool so that the spool was rotatable with respect to a spool shaft. In these devices, the journal bearings and drag members are typically housed in the front portion of the center bore of the spool, as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,416,428, 4,005,832 and 4,549,702.
One practical disadvantage to using journal bearings for supporting the spool of a fishing reel on the spool shaft is that the forces that are applied to the spool by the fishline as it is being wound and unwound have both an axial and radial component. As a result, the forces act on the spool to incline the spool with respect to the spool shaft, which causes the drag members to apply a variable braking force to the spool, which can cause the fishline to break and a hooked fish to escape. The uneven braking effect created by such prior art devices is illustrated in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C, in which the change in tension of the fishline is represented as a function of its unwinding speed. FIG. 4A represents an unwinding speed of 5 km/h, FIG. 4B an unwinding speed of 10 km/h, and FIG. 4C an unwinding speed of 15 km/h.
Clearly, there is a long and unfilled need in the prior art for a spinning reel spool that will not skew with respect to its supporting shaft when a force having an axial component is applied thereto by a fishline.